Overview of the Belisama Gas Project

Hancock Energy is advancing the Belisama gas project in Western Australia's mid-west region, which involves constructing a central processing facility (CPF) to treat natural gas from the Lockyer gas field in the Perth basin. The project is currently in the early stages of front-end engineering and design, as confirmed by a company spokesperson. The spokesperson emphasized that gas remains crucial for powering homes and industries in Western Australia, supporting jobs and living standards through reliable energy.

Key Infrastructure and Processing Details

According to a proposal submitted to the Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), natural gas from the Lockyer field will be directed via a central flowline to the Belisama CPF for treatment. The processed gas will then be transported through a pipeline to the Dampier Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline (DBNGP) to supply the domestic gas market. Additionally, the CPF will treat produced condensate, which will be transported to a near-port location for bulk storage and subsequent export. Hancock plans to construct and operate the CPF along with associated infrastructure, including a buried central flowline, a gas export pipeline, and a condensate stabilisation, storage, and offloading system to support road transport of the liquid product. On-site facilities will include an administration building with a central control room, offices, emergency response facilities, power generation equipment, warehousing, workshops, switch room infrastructure, and accommodation buildings.

Acquisition and Relocation

In December 2024, Hancock acquired exploration permits EP 368 and EP 426 in the Perth basin from Mineral Resources, which included the Lockyer conventional gas project comprising gas discoveries and a proposal for a gas processing facility. Under the Belisama project, the processing facility will no longer be built at the original site. Instead, Hancock has proposed a new location approximately 20 kilometres south of the initial site, on land it owns about 350 kilometres north of Perth and 25 kilometres southwest of Mingenew. The company stated that this new location would reduce potential environmental and community impacts associated with the original proposal.

Future Expansion and Commercial Considerations

The proposed new location lies between the Lockyer and West Erregulla gas fields, where Hancock holds a 50% stake following its 2023 acquisition of Warrego Energy. This positioning opens the possibility of processing gas from West Erregulla and additional undiscovered gas resources in the surrounding area. The Belisama CPF and associated infrastructure have been designed to accommodate future co-processing of alternative regional gas resources. However, Hancock stressed that processing West Erregulla's gas through the Belisama CPF remains subject to commercial discussions with joint venture partner Strike Energy. According to a separate document submitted to the Australian Industry Participation Authority, construction of the Belisama facility is expected to be completed by January 2029.